Reliability and availability in reconfigurable computing: A basis for a common solution

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2008

Authors

Manuel G. Gericota (Author) Other; Gustavo R. Alves (Author) Other; Miguel L. Silva (Author) Other; José M. Ferreira (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: IEEE Transactions on Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) Systems

Pages: 1545-1558

ISSN: 1063-8210

Publisher: IEEE

Indexing

ISI Web of Science

Scopus

INSPEC

Scientific classification

FOS: Engineering and technology > Electrical engineering, Electronic engineering, Information engineering

Other information

DOI: 10.1109/TVLSI.2008.2001141

Abstract (EN): Dynamically reconfigurable SRAM-based field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) enable the implementation of reconfigurable computing systems where several applications may be run simultaneously, sharing the available resources according to their own immediate functional requirements. To exclude malfunctioning due to faulty elements, the reliability of all FPGA resources must be guaranteed. Since resource allocation takes place asynchronously, an online structural test scheme is the only way of ensuring reliable system operation. On the other hand, this test scheme should not disturb the operation of the circuit, otherwise availability would be compromised. System performance is also influenced by the efficiency of the management strategies that must be able to dynamically allocate enough resources when requested by each application. As those resources are allocated and later released, many small free resource blocks are created, which are left unused due to performance and routing restrictions. To avoid wasting logic resources, the FPGA logic space must be defragmented regularly. This paper presents a non-intrusive active replication procedure that supports the proposed test methodology and the implementation of defragmentation strategies, assuring both the availability of resources and their perfect working condition, without disturbing system operation.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 14